BIOL 530
We will use the latitudinal increase in diversity towards the equator as a launching point to explore how diversity forms, is maintained, and disappears, and why we find such dramatic variation in diversity around the world.
Course discussions will focus on both evolutionary and ecological perspectives of diversity, and we will review various hypotheses to explain latitudinal diversity gradients.
Class schedule classes by Zoom, Weds & Thurs 11:30am - 1:00pm
Week 1 Wednesday, January 13, 2021 Introduction & complex questions in science
Thursday, January 14, 2021 Strong inference
Week 2 Wednesday, January 20, 2021 Multiple working hypotheses
Thursday, January 21, 2021 Biological patterns across latitude
Week 3 Wednesday, January 27, 2021 A framework for studying diversity gradients
Thursday, January 28, 2021 The latitudinal gradient through deep time
Week 4 Student presentations begin
(note: gray means someone has taken the topic for presentation already)
Wednesday, February 3, 2021 Latitudinal Variation in Cladogenesis & Extinction
Thursday, February 4, 2021 Janzen's Hypothesis
Week 5 Wednesday, February 10, 2021 Asynchrony of Seasons Hypothesis
Thursday, February 11, 2021 Shifting Ranges Hypothesis
Week 6 Reading week
Week 7 Wednesday, February 24, 2021 Biotic vs Abiotic Selection Hypothesis
Thursday, February 25, 2021 Geographic Area Hypothesis
Week 8 Wednesday, March 3, 2021 Species Energy - Rates of Evolution Hypothesis
Thursday, March 4, 2021 Species Energy - Number of Individuals Hypothesis
Week 9 Wednesday, March 10, 2021 Glacial Extinctions Hypothesis
Thursday, March 11, 2021 Tropical Niche Conservatism Hypothesis
Week 10 Wednesday, March 17, 2021 Density-dependent Mortality Hypothesis
Thursday, March 18, 2021 Climate Stability - Niche Overlap Hypothesis
Week 11 Wednesday, March 24, 2021 Climate Stability - Population Size Hypothesis
Thursday, March 25, 2021 Biotic Interactions - Ecological Breadth Hypothesis
Week 12 Wednesday, March 31, 2021 Evolutionary Time Hypothesis
Thursday, April 1, 2021 Environmental Harshness Hypothesis
Week 13 Wednesday, April 7, 2021 Geometric Constraints Hypothesis
Thursday, April 8, 2021 Wrap-up discussion.
Grade breakdown
Presentation of hypothesis & predictions 30% instructions & rubric
Co-presentation of critical assessment 15% instructions & rubric
Major written paper 35% instructions & rubric
In-class participation 20% instructions & rubric
There are no formal exams in this class.
Class readings (I will send out readings each week by email)
Week 1 Wednesday, January 13, 2021 no readings
Thursday, January 14, 2021 Platt 1964 Science 146:347-353
Week 2 Wednesday, January 20, 2021 Chamberlin 1965 Science 148:754-759
Thursday, January 21, 2021 Hillebrand 2004 American Naturalist 163:192-211
Week 3 Wednesday, January 27, 2021 Jablonski et al. 2006 Science 314: 102-106
Thursday, January 28, 2021 Mannion et al. 2014. TREE 29:42-50
Week 4 Student presentations begin
Wednesday, Febrary 3, 2021 Weir & Schluter 2007 Science 315:1574-1576 &
Martin et al. 2007 J. Evol. Biol. 20:930-936
Thursday, February 4, 2021 Ghalambor et al. 2006 Integr. & Comp. Biol. 46:5-17
Week 5 Wednesday, Febrary 10, 2021 Martin et al. 2009 Ideas Ecol. Evol. 2:9-17.
Thursday, February 11, 2021 Dynesius & Jansson 2000 PNAS 97:9115-9120
Week 6 Reading week
Week 7 Wednesday, Febrary 24, 2021 Schemske 2009 book chapter
Thursday, February 25, 2021 Rosenzweig 1992 J. Mammalogy 73:715-730
Week 8 Wednesday, March 3, 2021 Allen et al. 2006 PNAS 103:9130-9135
Thursday, March 4, 2021 Wright 1983 Oikos 41:496-506 &
Currie & Paquin 1987 Nature 329:326-327
Week 9 Wednesday, March 10, 2021 Adams & Woodward 1989 Nature 339:699–701 &
McGlone 1996 Global Ecol. Biogeogr. Letters 5:309-314
Thursday, March 11, 2021 Wiens & Donaghue 2004 TREE 19:639-644
Week 10 Wednesday, March 17, 2021 Hille Ris Lambers et al. 2002 Nature 417:732-735
Thursday, March 18, 2021 Klopfer & MacArthur 1961 Am. Naturalist 95:223-226
Week 11 Wednesday, March 24, 2021 Connell & Orias 1964 Am. Naturalist 98:399-414
Thursday, March 25, 2021 Dyer et al. 2007 Nature 448:696-699
Week 12 Wednesday, March 31, 2021 Fischer 1960 Evolution 14:64-81 (excerpt only)
Thursday, April 1, 2021 Brown & Gibson 1983 (excerpt from book) &
Thiery 1982 Biological Reviews 57:671-710 (excerpt)
Week 13 Wednesday, April 7, 2021 Collwell & Lee 2000 TREE 15:70-76
Thursday, April 8, 2021 Jetz & Fine 2012 PLoS Biology 10:e1001292